Internal combustion engine



Jan. 14, 1941.

w. v. FALCON NTERNAL -COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fam .Y y. J,

A INVENTOR )MMM yf LM Jan. 14, 1941. w. v. FALcou INTERNAL COMBUSTIOH ENGINE Filed July 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENT OR. 37%

Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in internal ,combustion engines of the compressionignition type and particularly to the parts which perform the working cycle of the engine, these 5 being a pre-combustion chamber, an air compressor, the cylinder, piston, combustion space, and valve controlled communicating passages; and the objects of my invention are: first, to provide means in the construction, combination and ar- 10 rangements of parts of the improved compression-ignition engine whereby fuels of low grade oils may be successfully burned on the constantvolume cycle of operation, to obtain greater engine speeds and efliciency of operation; second,

l5 to provide means in this class engine to lower the compression ratio in the working cylinder far beyond that heretofore employed; third, to provide means to thoroughly scavenge the consumed gases from the pre-combustion chamber, which 20 is most important to obtain maximum efficiency in this class engine; fourth, to provide means to use air injection in a modified form and solid injection in combination with a pre-combustion r chamber; fifth, to provide means to start injecbeen closed, thereby providing a longer time in which the fuel may be injected, may gasify and mix with the air before combustion is initiated; sixth, to provide means to inject the fuel in a precombustion chamber in an atomized condition, retaining same in the pre-combustion chamber until a pre-determined time before ignition starts, at which time the said fuel charge is blown into the combustion space of the working cylinder by a blast of air highly compressed in a small cylinder; seventh, to provide means to compress a small quantity of air in a small cylinder at a pressure `not less than twice the maximum compression pressure of the engine; eighth, to provide valve controlled means to control the time of ignition by controlling the time said compressed air is to be admitted into the pre-combustion chamber; ninth, to provide means in a low com- 45 pression engine to rapidly raise the heat of compression far beyond the kindling temperature of the fuel' by introducing a highly heated quantity f compressed air into the cylinder of the engine at a time just before the top center of the piston on the compression stroke; tenth, to provide means for the necessary turbulence of the fuel and air charge for quick and complete burning lci! the fuel charge at constant-volume; eleventh, to provide means to control the amount 55 of fuel to be injected into the pre-combustion tion of the fuel shortly after the intake valve has gine.

chamber of the engine according to the speedv and power output.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and 5 claimed.

The invention will be best understood by a reference to the accompanying drawings which form a. part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. l is a vertical transverse sectional view of lthe upper portion of an engine embodying the invention takenthrough number one cylinder.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side vertical yiew of valve 34 and the valve stem guide 1I, showing the method employed to keep it in place by the use of the bolts 6I-6I, and also the springs 55--55 which hold the Valve in a closed position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front sectional view of the fuel spray nozzle 24 and the fuel plunger pump 25, which are assembled into one unit.

Fig. 4 is another vertical transverse sectional view of the upper portion of an engine embodying" the inventionin' a modified form taken through number one cylinder.

Fig, 5 is another vertical transverse sectional 25 view of an engine of the two-cycle type taken through number one cylinder, showing the novel port scavenger action.

Fig. 6 is a ligure taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 'l is an enlarged fragmentary portion of 30 the cylinder head 8, illustrating. the drilled passages 2I and 58 asshown in Figs. 4 and 5, and also a modified formv of check valve |01.

As shown in the drawings the engine is illustrated as comprising a cylinder block 3, a cylinder 4, a concave piston 5 in said cylinder, and a cylinder head 8. The concave crown 52 of piston 5, together with a recess 32 in the said cylinder head, composes the combustion space oi the en- A camshaft I3, mounted .on the cylinder 40 head in any suitable bearing 43 in Figs. 1 and 4, rotates at one-half crankshaft speed, the engine being of the four-cycle type; in Fig. 5 the camshaft rotates at crankshaft speed, the engine being of the two-cycle type. A shaft I8 is also 45 mounted in the cylinder head 8, the eccentrics 4U are machined too and are parts of it, and the arms I6, which are in two pieces, are fulcrurn on the eccentrics 40 and extend partly across the top of the cylinder head 8, One side of said arms IB is shownut away in Figs. 1 and 4 to expose the gears 39-31, an arm 4I, the roller I5 together with the upper end of the connecting rod il, which are all assembled between said arms I6, the arms Il being held at a set distance apart and together by the spaces 63. Just below 'the shaft I8 and in line with it is mounted a. shaft 61 to which is attached a gear 38 to mesh with the gear 31. The fuel plunger pump 25 (see Fig. 3) and the fuel spray nozzle 24 are assembled together and form one unit and are positioned in a vertical opening in the cylinder head 8 extending about midway down, the lower portion of said opening forming the pre-combustion chamber 23, and said fuel pump, which is assembled above the spray nozzle, extending above the cylinder head 8 and being operated by the arms I6 through the In the lower end of the precombustion chamber is inserted a member 30 in which there is a tapering opening 3| in open communication with the combustion space of the engine, and across from said insert 30 a drilled passage 2| enters the pre-combustion chamber in such a manner as to form the deilector 22, said passage 2| communicating .ith the working end of cylinder 9 through the drilled passages 20 and I9 (see Fig. 1) and in Figs. 4 and 5 the said drilled passage 2| communicates with the cylinder 53 through the drilled passage 58.

In a vertical opening adjacent to the pre-combustion chamber, the fuel nozzle, and fuel pump, is positioned a one way valve 34, as shown .n Fig. 2, a modified form of said valve being |01 in Fig. '1. The valve stems 21 and 33 as shown in Fig. 2 are fitted in a valve stem guide 1| which extends upward above the cylinder head 8, and thereto suitable means are assembled to open saidl valve 34, which means are a bell crank 28 and a boss 29. The said boss which is attached to the connecting rod I1 will strike the bell crank 28 as it position by the springs 55-55, said valve L34 being made up of two valve stems 33 and 21.-. v The lower portion 33 is lapped to fit a little more freely in the guide 1I, and the two ends are so shaped as to form a space 36, and, due to the loose fit of section 33, the maximum pressures in the precombustion chamber will blow by and be maintained in the space 36. When the upper` stem is moved upward at that time the maximum pressures in the drilled passages I9 and 20 will be suiiicient to move the lower part 33 and allow the compressed airain the working end of the cylinder 9 to blow into the pre-combustion chamber through the drilled passage 2|.

In the modified form of check valve shown in Fig. '7 the valve stem 21 is'in one piece. A ball ls positioned at the upper end of the passage 58 and below the fiat lower end of plunger 21, which is lifted up in the manner above mentioned. When the stem 21 moves upward the pressure in passage 58 is greater than that in the drilled passage 2 I. Obviously the ball will move up and allow the compressed air in the working end of the cylinder 53 to pass into the pre-combustion chamber 23.

A cylinder 9 is assembled in an opening adjacent to the valve 34 and a piston l0 is mounted in said cylinder 9 and is attached to the arms I6 by means of the connecting rod I1. In the lower end of said cylinder 9 is mounted a one way spring-loaded intake valve I2 to admit air into the lower or working end of said cylinder when the piston I is brought upward by the arms 6. The arms I6 are moved downward by `the action of the cam I4 on the roller l5 and returned upward by a spring 42 which also carries upward the plunger 48 of the fuel pump (see Fig. 3).

In Figs. 4 and 5 are found the following modiflcations: 'I'he cylinder 53 which corresponds to the cylinder 9 of Fig. 1 is positioned in the cylinder block 3 adjacent to the working cylinder 4, and the piston I0 is operated by a lay crankshaft 14 through the connection rod 19 as shown in Fig. 5. The camshaft |3 may be made a little lighter in view of the fact that the strain of operating piston I0 is herein removed. Changes are also made in the cams 59, Fig. 4, and I0| of Fig. the engine is of the reversible two-cycle type. The camshaft I3 rotates at crankshaft speed; the lag crankshaft 14 also rotates at said speed.

A further novel feature is found in the castings 83, 84, and |08. Said castings are tted to the outer circumference of the working cylinder 4 and the cylinder 53. They are held in place by the bolts 36-86 and 81-81 and are positioned so that the openings 80 and'8l will correspond to the openings 94 and 95 of the working cylinder 4; the opening 0I also corresponds to the opening 96 of the cylinder 53. On the same side the piston I0 has an opening 91 which will control communication between the crank case and the working cylinder through the openings 96 and 8|. The exhaust manifold is attached to the casting 33 and the cylinder block 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, the fuel enters the fuel pump under low pressure through any suitable connection mounted in the threaded opening 46 in the boss 26 and through the drilled passage 41 into the pump barrel of the plunger 48. When the plunger 48 moves up by the force of the spring 42 a partial vacuum is created in space 5I until the end of drilled passage 41 is uncovered. Said partial vacuum in space 5I assisted by a low pressure in passage 41 will quickly ll the displacementeifected by the' upward movement of the plunger 48. When the said plunger is forced down by the arm 4I, the fuel flows back into the passage 41 until the end of the plunger 48 covers the end of said passage 41. The trapped fuel in the pump barrel will be forced under moderate pressure through a suitable number of drilled passages 52 into an annular space 53 just above the valve |05 which is a part of plunger 50; plunger 50 is reduced in size at the valve seat |05 and it continues upward asa valve stem. At its upper end a valve spring retainer |06 is attached to it so as to providefan adjustment, whereby the aperture of the valve |05 may be adjusted to a very small fraction of an inch. The valve spring 68 will keep the said valve |05 in a closed position when the fuel pressure drops in the space 5|. When the plunger 48 forces the fuel in the space 5I, under sufficient pressure, the valve |05 is forced open and the fuel will flow past the valve seat and around the plunger 50 into the pre-combustion chamber in a finely divided condition. Y

The control of the engine is accomplished by controlling the operation of the fuel pump and the valve 34. The fuel pump is of the constant stroke type and the plane of plunger motion must be changed to vary the quantity of fuel to be injected; and that is accomplished by means of gears. As the arms I6 move up and down, the arm 4I, which is mounted to them, will also move up and down, but the plane of said up and down movement must be changed`and that is done by rotating the gears 38, 31, and 39 a little (see Fig. l). When the shaft 61 is rotated to the right or left, through the said gears, the arm 4| will change the stroke of the plunger 48, for the plunger follows the arm 4|. The plunger positioned in Fig. 3 will inject its maximum amount of www fuel. when moving in this plane the lowerlend 'the roller I5 earlier; by rotating the said eccentrics fill in a left hand direction, the above action l will be reversed. In this manner the time relation of the arms I will be changed relative to that of the working piston ltravel. By changing the time, the boss 29 on the connecting rod I1 strikes the bell crank 28 and likewise opens the valve 34 early or late, regulating the time said compressed and highly heated air may lio-w into the combustion space of the engine. In this manner the ignition time is regulated to the speed of the engine.

Referring to Fig. 1 with the parts positioned as shown and described, the operation of the engine is as follows: The working piston 5 is near the top center on the fourth or compression y stroke and the cam I4 on camshaft I3 has caused the arms I6 to move downward near its lowest position, bringing down with it the piston I0 which is connected Ito it by means of the connecting rod I'I, Thefuel pump is also near completion of its operation, ybeing forced down by the arm 4I. A- boss 29 attached to the connecting rod I1 has come in contact with a bell crank 2li which has opened the check valve 34, allowing the highly'compressed air, which has been heated by the work done to it during compression in the working end of cylinder 9 and the passages I9 and 2U, to flow into the passage 2l and into the pre-combustion c'hamber 23. This transfer of said air is accomplished in la small fraction of a second; therefore the air travel is at high velocity, and, when it strikes the deflector 2.2 as it is about to enter the pre-combustion chamber, will swirl upward into the precornbustion chamber, raising the pressure therein and causing a reverse action in the iiow of air from the cylinder into the pre-combustion chamber through the passage 3l of the insert 30, and the greater part of admixture of fuel and air in the pre-combustion chamber will be blown into the combustion space with such force that it will penetrate the entire amount of air contained in it, causing the necessary turbulent action to thoroughly mix the fuel and 'air in preparation for a quick and complete burning when said admixture is followed by an extremely hot flame caused by an explosion in the pre-combustion chamber. Combustion is first initiated in the pre-combustion chamber by the said heated air of cylinder 9 and, naturally, nearly the full charge of i'uei being present in the combustion space when combustion takes place, the entire charge will burn substantially at constant-volume, impelling the piston on its working stroke, thus completing the cycle of operation. While there are slight modifications in Figs. 4 and 5, the same description will apply.

While I have illustra-ted and described the present form of my invention, I do not Wish to limit myself to the precise details of structure shown, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

, WhatI claim is: i

1. In an internal combustion engine having a chamber, the combination of a plunger-type fuel injector for said chamber; a plunger-type air pump; a normally closed valve for providing communication between said chamber and the discharge side of said pump; an engine-driven cam; a single movable member actuated by said cam for reciprocating said pump plunger; means actuated by said reciprocating pump plunger for opening said valve; and an element adjustably carried b'y said member for reciprocating said injector plunger through a variable stroke for the injection into said chamber of fuel of variable quantities.

2. In an internal combustion engine having a chamber, the combination of a plunger-type fuel injector for said chamber; a plunger-type air pump; a normally closed valve for providing communication between said chamber and the discharge side 0f said'pump; an engine-driven cam; a single pivoted member actuated by said cam for reciprocating said pump plunger; means actuated by said reciprocating pump plunger for opening said valve; an element pivotally carried by said member and adapted to reciprocate said injector plunger; an angularly adjustable shaft spaced from said mem-ber; and a gear connection between said shaft and element and including a gear rotatable coaxially of the pivot of said member, the fuel quantity of the injections being varied on adjustment of said shaft.

3. In an internal combustion engine having a chamber, the combination of a plunger-type fuel injector for said chamber; a plunger-type air pump discharging into said chamber; an enginedriven cam; an angularly adjustable eccentric; a single member journalled on said eccentric and actuated :by said cam for reciprocating said pump plunger; an element pivotally carried by said member and adapted to reciprocate said injector plunger; an angularly adjustable shaft spaced from said member; and a gear connection between said shaft and element and including a `gear rotatable on said eccentric, 4the fuel quantity of the injections being varied on adjustment of said shaft and the operation of said pump and injector -being advanced or retarded in the engine operation on adjusting said eccentric.

4. In an internal combustion engine having a chamber, the combination of a plunger-type fuel injector foisaid chamber; a plunger-type air pump; a normally closed valve for providing communication between said chamber and the discharge side of said pump; van engine-driven cam; an angularly adjustable eccentric; a single member journalled on said eccentric and actuated by said cam for reciprocating said pump plunger; means actuated by said reciprocating pump plunger for opening said valve; an element plvotally carried by said member and adapted to reciprocate said injector plunger; an angularly adjustable "shaftA spaced 4from said member; and a gear connection between said shaft and element and including a gear rotatable on said eccentric, "the fuel quanti-ty of the injections being varied on adjustment of said shaft and the operation ofsaid pump and injector as well as the opening of said valve being advanced or retarded in the engine operation on adjusting said eccentric.

WILLIAM V. FALCON. 

